Forest habitat types (Pfister et al, 1977) are 

 used to describe the vegetation of a site. They 

 have been grouped to indicate the severity and 

 frequency of wildfires that historically oc- 

 curred on a site (ENT 223; Fischer and Bradley, 

 1987). The Douglas-fir habitat type occurs on 

 approximately 14% of the area; the grand fir, 

 57%; the alpine fir, 23%; the cedar, 5%; and the 

 hemlock, 1%. These habitat types indicate 

 microclimates of the area they represent; for 

 instance, much of the Douglas-fir habitat type 

 occurs on moderately w^arm, dry sites. Figure 

 III-l below shows the proportion of habitat 

 grouped by temperature and moisture. 



FIGURE III-1-HABITAT TYPE GROUPS 



HABITAT-TYPE GROUPS 

 BEAVER LAKE PROJECT AREA 



Warm and dry 



Cold 



Modarataly warm and dry 



Modarataly cool and dry 



Warm and moist 



These habitat types indicate a range of dry to 

 moist climatic regime with vegetative poten- 

 tial limited by, to a small degree, available 

 moisture and, to a greater degree, tempera- 

 ture. These sites generally support a rich 

 diversity of trees and other plant species and 

 are moderately highly to very highly produc- 

 tive. 



LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS 



BACKGROUND, ANALYSIS 

 METHODS, AND AREA 



BACKGROUND 



The SFLMP directs DNRC to take a coarse- 

 filter approach to biodiversity by favoring an 



appropriate mix of stand structures and 

 compositions on State land (Montana DNRC 

 1996). To implement a coarse-filter approach 

 and meet SFLMP directives, landscape-analy- 

 sis techniques were used to determine an 

 appropriate mix of stand structures and 

 compositions, including cover-type represen- 

 tation, age-class distribution, structural charac- 

 teristics, and spatial considerations, such as 

 patch size, shape, and location. 



METHODS 



This landscape analysis will view components, 

 such as cover-type representation, from vary- 

 ing spatial scales and compare historic condi- 

 tions with the current conditions and condi- 

 tions that we think would be appropriate for 

 the site the stand occupies. This analysis 

 accounts for past management activities. 

 Inventory data from the 1930s was used by 

 Losensky (1993) to estimate the proportion of 

 various stand-structural stages by cover type 

 in the Inland Northwest in 1900 by projecting 

 back 30 years. This provides an estimate of the 

 natural characteristics of forests prior to fire 

 suppression and extensive logging. Losensky 

 has since (1997) worked with DNRC to com- 

 plete an analysis for the entire state; some 

 vegetation types that are specific to that work 

 are included in this analysis. 



In reference to historic conditions and species 

 mixes, the followitig methodology was used to 

 analyze current and appropriate stand condi- 

 tions: 



Two filters were developed and applied to the 

 Stillwater State Forest's current Stand Level 

 Inventory (SLI) data. The filters were assigned 

 cover types similar to those used in the 1930s' 

 inventory. One filter followed the 1930s' 

 criteria exactly, or as closely as possible, 

 representing current conditions (current filter). 

 The other filter (appropriate filter) assigns 

 cover types using criteria primarily designed 

 to help address the situation where succession 

 from one cover type to another was occurring. 

 The appropriate filter was developed to 

 indicate that those areas in the absence of fire 

 suppression, introduced pathogens, and 

 timber harvesting would likely have been 



te 



Stillwater State Forest • Beaver Lake Timber Sale Project 



